90 Years of Shock Absorber Manufacturing

Tenneco Inc., manufacturer of Monroe® shock absorbers, is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the start of its shock absorber manufacturing activity with a number of initiatives that support its new brand promise “Monroe is More®”. The company, which was one of the first to invent shock absorber technology in the early 1900s, today supplies more than 200 vehicle platforms worldwide with its original equipment ride and emission control products. To mark the occasion, Tenneco is expanding coverage of its Monroe® range of aftermarket shock absorber, providing more training and introducing an all-new look for its aftermarket shocks.

Alex Gelbcke, Aftermarket Sales and Marketing Vice President said: “We continue to grow in the aftermarket by realigning our product strategy to an evolving marketplace in order to further strengthen our position as Europe’s leading provider of replacement shock absorbers. The fact that we are a leading supplier of shocks to the vehicle manufacturers enables us to leverage our advanced engineering capabilities, OE technologies and wealth of data on ride and handling characteristics into the aftermarket.”

The most visible change is the colour of Monroe® shock absorbers which are now available in black, synonymous with quality, design and functionality. All Monroe® products are manufactured using the highest-quality materials in ISO9002, QS9000 and TS16949. Only its 4×4 shock absorber Monroe Adventure will remain in its original yellow colour.

As part of the “Monroe is More” initiative, Tenneco is offering the best technology at an affordable price. Every car, regardless of brand or age can now be fitted with Monroe® shock absorbers. In order to facilitate choice, the company has streamlined its range while continuing to provide 97% market coverage, one of the most extensive on the market.

More training programs are being introduced for installers such as the latest Monroe 4T program. In addition the company is one of the founding partners of the eXponentia training alliance. Formed together with SKF, TRW and Valeo, its mission is to be the “preferred service provider” for European technicians by delivering a series of technical training modules to assist technicians in improving their skills and the competitiveness of their businesses.

Following the introduction of its fleet of testing vans in 2005, Monroe is offering more testing days this year. Experts driving the vans equipped with the latest diagnostic tools such as shock tester, opacimeter, mounting tools and gas analyzer, will give a full shock absorber inspection and diagnosis, checking critical parts of the vehicle suspension system such as shocks, springs, mounting kits and protection kits.

Tenneco has tested more than 24,700 cars throughout Europe as part of its Monroe® Testing Days on Tour campaign to measure the level of wear on suspension components. Results show that on average, 52 per cent of the vehicles tested in France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and the Benelux have seriously worn or damaged shocks. These results were based on cars with an average age of 8.5 years and an average 111,000 km on the clock.